The present disclosure relates generally to a roll control system, device and method for controlling vehicle stability, and particularly to a magnetorheological actuator for purposes thereof.
A vehicle roll or stability control system may consist of a passive anti-roll bar made up of solid or hollow steel tubes connected between the left and right body suspension points in the front and rear of the vehicle. During cornering at high velocities, the centrifugal forces on the body of a vehicle tend to push the body roll angle toward its stability limit. With a suitably designed anti-roll (stabilizer) bar, the vehicle roll angle may be reduced under such maneuvers and the vehicle roll-over propensity minimized. However, a passive anti-roll bar tends to increase the suspension harshness by transmitting road disturbances such as single wheel pot hole or bump events to the passenger compartment, resulting in a less than desirable ride quality. An active or semi-active roll control system may engage the anti-roll bar only when needed and disengage it otherwise, thereby improving the ride quality. However, typical active roll-control systems require a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic control, thereby driving up system complexity and cost.
While existing anti-roll actuators, roll control systems and methods for controlling vehicle stability are suitable for their intended purpose, there remains a need in the art for improvements that overcome these drawbacks.